Norco taps anti-counterfeiting service in China

Agricultural co-operative Norco has signed up to use Authenticateit's anti-counterfeiting platform to protect its exports from fakes in China.

Norco, the Australian firm which predominately works in dairy and milk production, says in a statement that by joining the Authenticateit anti-counterfeiting platform, the firm has ensured that its exports pass China's food serialisation and track and trace regulations.

It also says it will ensure its Chinese consumers are protected from potentially unsafe and counterfeit products, and provided consumers with additional insights about fresh, Australian milk.

Authenticateit will allow consumers to check the authenticity of Norco's milk by scanning the product's barcode using its free app.

There have been a lot of historic problems in China involving milk and infant formula, and other food materials and components, when in 2008 it was discovered that much of these products had been adulterated with the industrial and toxic chemical melamine.

By November 2008, China reported an estimated 300,000 victims, with six infants dying from kidney stones and other kidney damage, and an estimated 54,000 babies being hospitalised.

In a separate incident in 2004, watered-down milk had resulted in 13 infant deaths from malnutrition.

Even though it was later discovered that it was 18 Chinese local dairies who were adding this chemical to its supply, this whole episode has left the country's food regulator very nervous about any imports of milk, meaning any device that can reassure consumers of its authenticity will help in keeping customers' fears at ease.

But because of the problems of 2008, the exporting of milk has begun to grow significantly: in 2012, China was producing 37.4 million tonnes of fresh milk and was the world's third largest producer, with 14.3 per cent of the milk it consumes is imported: this percentage will grow to 34.5 per cent next year.

Much of this is coming from New Zealand, known as the 'Saudi Arabia' of milk (as the country is for oil), although Australian farms such as Norco are hoping to gain a greater market share.